Catering to constituency groups rouses friction among Democrats

CHICAGO — Democrats clashed Friday over efforts to make the party more diverse in deference to some of its most loyal constituent groups.

The friction came as the Democratic National Committee's Rules Committee debated and adopted two new proposals, one aimed at creating "inclusion programs" for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, the transgendered and the disabled; the other designed to enforce a new party move to give African Americans and Hispanics a bigger voice in picking presidential nominees.

Both proposals were expected to be approved today by the full Democratic National Committee at its summer meeting in Chicago.

The moves illustrated the power that organized minority groups retain within party councils as Democrats gear up for big elections in November and 2008.

The first involved two of the party's most senior strategists: Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, and Harold Ickes, a former top aide to President Clinton and an ally of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.

It focused on the proposal to make sure gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people and the disabled are more involved in party business. "As already is the practice, state parties may use goals to achieve these ends," the proposed rule says. "However, in no event may such participation be accomplished by the use of quotas."

Advocates said the new rule was needed to draw a clearer distinction with Republicans, who propose to outlaw gay marriage. Ickes questioned the need for the new program.

The second confrontation was over the party's plans to change the way it picks a presidential nominee in 2008.

Facing complaints that pivotal early primary voting has been dominated by the largely white states of Iowa and New Hampshire, the party wants to share early voting with Nevada and its large Hispanic population, and South Carolina with its large African-American population.

In response some states, especially New Hampshire, might move their primary dates up. To try to stop that, the rules committee approved a plan to punish any presidential candidate by barring their delegates from the national convention if he or she campaigns in any state that defies the party-set calendar.